19 November 2000
Memorial For James M. Sunday
July 17, 1945 - September 29, 1967
Rifleman - 4th Platoon - Charlie Company
4th Battalion - 47th Infantry - 9th Infantry Division
By his friend, Rollie Gangler
November 19, 2000
Jim and I became close friends during Basic Training at Fort Riley, Kansas, when the 9th Infantry Division was reactivated to combat communism in South Viet Nam. I first met Jim in May of 1966 when we ended up in the same platoon and I remember him as a really nice guy and a very honest and decent person. He was a quiet man and mostly kept to himself - I suppose that we got along so well due to my talkative nature and Jim being a good listener. I always liked joking with Jim and I remember how we constantly lamented the lack of success of our home town baseball teams - my Chicago Cubs and his Cleveland Indians.
When our Battalion went to Viet Nam in January of 1967, I ended up assigned to Headquarters and Jim stayed with his Infantry Platoon. During the following months of that year, I kept apprised of Charlie Company's activity by constantly monitoring reports and radio transmissions when my friends were in the field. Every chance that I had, I made sure that I visited with Jim and my other Charlie Company friends. I will never forget how my heart sank when I heard of Jim's death via radio communications between
Headquarters personnel and the field officers. The news hit me so hard and I knew that it would be thoroughly devasting to his wife and family.
While attending this year's Veteran's Day Ceremony, hosted by the Mobile Riverine Force Association, in Washington D.C., a fellow Charlie Company member, John Bradfield, informed me that a recreation park in Ohio had been named in honor of James M. Sunday.
I will never, ever forget my very good friend, Jim Sunday.
The memory of Jim will live on and on....
